Rail-joint.



UNITED s'rArIis IfArEN'r vvOFFICE.

HENRY A. CHRISTY, or KENILWORTFI, ILLINOIS, Ass-IGNCR To AMERICAN CAR ROOF Co., OF CHICAGO,` ILLINOIS, A .CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT. y

Specification of Iletters Patenti.

ratea-teri-sepe. 7, i915.

.gether the ends of abutting rails, whi'c4 as is well understood, arey subjected to severe strainsand shocks tending to interfere' with their proper holding or clampi'n'gfui'i'ction's.

Devices of this general character, if Vthey are to be effective in operation, must accomplish several results; They must not become loosened either from the rails or the under the 'severe' pounding actionof thelo'comotives andL ca'rs They mustmai'nt'ain the ends of adjoining rails inproperalinement, andthey should;l alsosupport andv brace" the heads ofthe rails.y It isl further desirable th a't they should haiethe capability' ofi being jghtened Aso asto meet or fulfily at all times these desirable, and, in? fact, necessary requirements. Y

In* carrying out these variousobje'cts and aim's,-I have devisedE aftypefof'rail-clamp or joint which efli'ci'entlyY holdsA the' railstogether and embodies aV rocking.' wedge` feature capable of tightening adjustment, which, while simple in'A structure and economical to manufacture, bra'c'estlie rail-head satisfactorily, produces al balancedeffect'- or strain onthe base of the appliancaanddoes v not necessarily depend upon spikes: for 'mainl taining'Y its parts in properV operative rela"L tion. l

In order' that those skilled in this art may be fully advised` of the features of constructionl and operation whichy diferentiateitliis new appliance from those of the prioriart,-I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the same in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through one of the rails, the joint structure, and a portion of one of the ties; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device applied to the ends of alined rails, and Fig. 3 illustrates the base-plate of the appliance in perspective.

The device comprises a base-plate 10 of suitable length having a central longitudinal groove or' depression l1 for the reception of thebases of the end portions of the rails 12 land lgvthe width of such channel being substantially the'same as that of the rail bases, asfis'cle'arly illustrated in Fig. l. This base or foundationplate is secured to the ties by a'- plurality of spikes 14', received in suitable holes 15, through the plate 10 near its edges. Outwardly vof the margins of the kdepression 1:1K` thisfsupporting-plate 10 has a' pair of longitudinalf,v inwardly-curved flanges or ribs 16' and` 17l providingy cavities or Socketsy on theirinner faces or` sides, as is shown in Fig. 11. An angle iish-pla'telS is' employed on each2 si'de'lof the rails having' a curved lower r'outer e'dg'e 19 accommodated in the corresponding cavity ofthe rib 16 or 17, as the case may be-;- At their upper edges these fish-plates bear against the under faces of thera'il-heads' and are slightly beveled at 20, wherebyfas they are drawn inwardly, they will' act as rocking' wedges irmly holding the rails4 in place and bracing'or supporting their heads. Y y

Ea'chtplatelS has a rockingbeari'ng on the topface's of the rail bases at a' point 21 substantially in a plane' normal or at rightangles to the longitudinal central-portion of the under' surface of the rail-head, thus bringing the place of such rocking bearing outwardly vof the rail-head. As is illust'rated, the'ii'sh-pla'tes aswell as the rail-webs a'r'e'aperturedl in alinement or register at 22, 23,:for the accommodation of asuitable number of tighteningv bolts equipped with ythe usualinuts, which, of course, if desired, may

bei supplied with lock washers, not shown. By tightening the nuts of such bolts, the fish-plates are caused to rock on their bearin`g`s`|`n"-therail bases and their upper wedgeportions under the rail-heads can be thus drawn inwardly with great force, resulting in efficiently locking or clamping the railends together, as well as effectively bracing and supporting thevrail-h'eads. Of course, the lower edges of the fish-plates cannot move'outwardly by reason of their Contact with the flanges or ribs 16, 17, and their pressure on the latter is substantially balanced. As shown, the lower edges of the ish-plates and the ribs are so shaped that they are suiciently loosely received in the rib pockets so that the rocking of the plates referred to, is not interfered with. By locating the bearings of the plates at substantially the points indicated, a very slight taper or bevel at the upper edges of the fishplates becomes especially powerful for the purposes indicated. Ample space is left between the plates and the rail-webs and the 1 parture from the substance of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of its real advantages. i

- I claim: Y Y A y i l. In arail-joint construction of the character described, the combination of a baseplate on which the ends of abutting rails are adapted to rest, said base-plate having a longitudinal socket above the bases of such rails, a fish-plate adapted to be disposed longitudinally of the abutting rails out of contact with their webs and with its lower edge accommodated in said base-plate socket, said fish-plate being constructed with a lengthwise bearing on its lower-portion adapted to bear on the bases of the rails outside of their 4heads only, said fish-plate also having a wedge-upper-portion adapted to engage the the bases of such rails, a pair of fish-plates` adapted to be disposed longitudinally of and on opposite sides of the abutting rails and out of contact with their webs, each of said fish plates having its v lower edge portion Vconstructed for accommodation in one of said longitudinal sockets, each of said fishplates 'constructed with a longitudinal bearingon its lower-portion adapted to bear on the bases of the rails outside of their heads only, each of saidl fish-plates also having a wedge-upper-portion adapted to engage the under surfaces of the rail-heads, and means common to both of said fish-plates to adjustably rock said fish-plates transversely of the rails on their bearings, to tighten such wedge-portions under the rail-heads, substantially as described.

8.3In a rail-joint constructionof the character described, the combination of a pair of fish-platesA constructed to have rocking'bearings on the opposite base portions of abuting railroad rails, each of said fish-plates constructed to be out of contact with the rail webs and having a wedge-portion adapted to engage the underk surfaces of the'railheads, means common to both of said fishplates to rock them on said rail-base bearings totighten their wedge-portions under the rail-heads, said fish-plate bearings on the rail-bases being at points substantially in planes normal to the central portions of the rail-head surfaces engaged by the wedges, substantially as described.

` 4. In a rail-joint construction of the character described, the combination of a baseplate adapted to receive the ends of adjacent rails and yprovided with longitudinal sockets along its opposite sides, a pair of angle fish-plates each having a lower edgeportion adapted to be loosely received in one of said base-plate sockets, each of said shplates beingl constructed to be out of contact with the .rail webs and to have a rocking bearing onl thev bases of the rails at a point substantially in a plane normal to the longitudinal central portion of the corresponding under surfaces of the rail-heads and having alwedge-portiony adapted to engage the under surfaces of the rail-heads, and means to rock said sh-plates on such ,bearings lto Ytighteny their wedge-portions under the rail-heads, substantially as described.

yHENRY A.. CHRISTY. Y

. Copies of, this patent vmay-be obtainedy forve cents each, bya'ddressing the' Gommissoneroflatents,

. l Washington, I). G. 

